AI for Climate Resilience Program Grant

About this grant

The AI for Climate Resilience Program, launched by Klarna with Milkywire in January 2026, funds and mentors local innovators in lower- and middle-income countries who are building practical AI tools for climate adaptation and resilience. Examples named on the page include early-warning systems and resource management, and the projects cover disaster preparedness, biodiversity protection, and water and food security. The program works in cohorts. Cohort 1 started in January 2026 and runs to June 2027. Cohort 2 has six projects joining in January 2027, with a program period of January 2027 to June 2028. Beyond funding, participants receive tailored support to build robust solutions and scale their impact. The page describes the problem each project addresses in terms of climate pressures on frontline communities: floods and heatwaves affecting maternal health, drought affecting farmers and herders, glacial melt reducing spring irrigation, extreme weather affecting rural women workers, and groundwater depletion. Each project pairs an AI use case with a stated goal, such as forecasts delivered by SMS or WhatsApp in local languages, satellite and weather data combined for decision-making, or AI used to verify disaster losses and link households to support. The page also reports that a progress report was published on 14 October 2026 covering the program's first six months, and it lists an advisory board of climate, AI governance, and resilience experts. The page presents the program as part of Klarna's wider climate commitments, which also include the Climate Transformation Fund and the Nature Transformation Fund.

Eligibility

Eligibility is described only at a high level. The program funds and mentors local innovators in lower- and middle-income countries who are building practical AI tools for adaptation and resilience. It supports groups of innovators organised into cohorts. The page does not set out formal organisation-type requirements, application stage requirements, or prior-recipient rules.

How it's scored

The page includes a section titled 'Selecting the most promising projects' with subsections on the process, the advisory board, and what the program looks for. The stated aim is to seek pioneering solutions that empower communities with technology to lead the acceleration of system-level climate resilience. No scoring criteria, weightings, or detailed panel composition are given beyond the advisory board listing.

Key requirements

• ✓Based in or serving lower- and middle-income countries
• ✓Building AI-powered tools for climate adaptation, early-warning systems, or resource management
• ✓Commitment to participate in mentorship and support programme

Recent past awardees

Knowing who's won the last rounds tells you whether you're in the strike zone.

• Acres of Ice · 2026 · $111K
• SEWA / IFPRI / Gram Vaani · 2026 · $287K
• Saka Warga · 2026 · $275K
• GainForest · 2026 · $285K
• GeoTek Water Solutions Ltd · 2026 · $210K
• SEEDS · 2026 · $275K

Frequently asked questions

How much funding does AI for Climate Resilience Program offer?

AI for Climate Resilience Program offers $111K – $295K.

Who can apply for AI for Climate Resilience Program?

Eligibility covers organisations in GLOBAL-SOUTH, AFRICA, SOUTH-ASIA, SE-ASIA, LATAM; startup, sme, nonprofit, social-enterprise, community-group. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.

Relevant sectors

About this sector

Climate adaptation funding helps communities, infrastructure and businesses prepare for heat, flooding, drought and sea level rise. Most of it is public and multilateral money, often targeted at vulnerable regions and delivered with local government. Calls usually ask for a climate risk assessment and evidence that local people shaped the plan.